The Fair Maid is an Adirondack tale explaining why bogs can be found in balsam forests. It is the story of a female who lives in a bog, and a male that lives in the balsam wood. Their respective geographical homes limit their love, until the Wizard of the North gives them hope, and after a long winter of separation and despair, he places the bog next to the balsam wood.
In this blog, I am working towards taking this epic work from journal form to published book.

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Bored "Nature has her rubbish heaps." I said.I was so heartsick—I ran away tocome to stand on a mountainwith a young moon kissing it,TIMEmaneuver among snow-capped peaks abovemusic of thewind in the firsyou will have what you wish!things hoped for. But bide a wee."acknowledgement of the inevitableswept awayblissful comfortwear it always. Dont' waitknow you've found the perfectman.

That was a wonderful day in the little house of dreams.

And so ends the dreamy moment that the fair maid is having..She is bored with her regular life, bored to tears. She curses the natural world, the bog, her duties "Nature has her rubbish heaps". She stands on a mountain and hears the whispers of the world....and she learns that she should have what she wishes for....It is all too true.

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

bound about her head with a crimson ribbon. Shewore a dress of some dark material, very plainly made, butswathed about her waist, outlining its fine curves, was a vivedgirdle of red silk. Her hands, clasped over her knee, were brownand somewhat work-hardened; but the skin of ther throat andcheeks was as white as cream. A flying gleam of sunset brokethrough a low-lying western cloud and fell across her hair.Presently she scrambled down the steep path to the littlenest of moss on the rocks beside the creek. Sprayfrom the rushing stream would keep the moss green all summer.

Monday, April 16, 2007

a dear little home—and love—and happiness—and glad dreams—everything I wanted—and never had—andnever could have. Oh, never could have! That was what stung!Whirling round and round in the northern House of DreamsI am a slave to the spirit of the quest.nothing but a dreamer.

Friday, April 13, 2007

Subservient to his will, and for him madehim," she said. He was someone to beworshipped from afar. it would obviouslynever be possible for them to meet.

Again, I look back at these words and they feel lame and weak. When I composed this book I was in an unhappy marital situation And I suppose I dreamt of the ideal... or realized the reality??....But at this point in time, away from it now ...almost divorced from it...I feel as tho this position of subservience is really pathetic, and olde-tyme stereotypical!That's just exactly why this is a fairy tale...so I can get away with that kind of thing. Besides, that is the way it appears to be in life most of the time. Women are subservient to the male of the species....and I guess embracing it could be more fun than bucking the system. Hence, she fondles herself.That does sound so crass. But this is an explanation of symbols and pages and therefore, I am going to tell it like it is.

Would the fair maid ever meet "him"? This perfect kindred soul in her dreams??? It doth seem impossible.

Monday, April 9, 2007

"I think I would have found a "kindred" spirit,'"I thought you were so beautiful-I longed for weeks after to find out who you were.

This page is key to the whole dream sequence...I notice I haven't accented it much with the words. (frown!) The fair maid comes upon her literal dream man, under the mushroom house, and of course as is typical with dreams, she had no idea who he was. But she seemed to know right away he was a "kindred spirit." This terminology was taken from Anne of Green Gables. I had 3 volumes that were old and shabby kicking around the studio while I was working on various pages and they are now cut up and shred, but always beloved...and now, they lend meanings to my own work. When I was a young girl, I had read the book and was quite taken with the descriptions of scenery and some of the ideas. One of those ideas was the kindred spirit....I have found many of these in my life. And here, the fair maid thinks she found one in her dreams.

I thought about this later, and resented that I deeply felt as tho a man of my dreams was the objective in life! But as I assess my life I notice that I really do live this way, thinking a man is what makes me complete. Perhaps it is somehow...but I resent it anyways.

There is always something going on that is not understood. Isn't that just the nature of life? Especially in dreams we seek to find the hidden meaning, the essence of ourselves....but not always can our answers be found.